Why Mariah Carey Isn’t Officially The “Queen Of Christmas”

In one of the great holiday traditions of the modern age, Mariah Carey rings in the Christmas season each year on Nov. 1. Like clockwork, her enduring hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” takes over the airwaves, and she starts spreading good tidings and cheer everywhere, through TV specials, parade appearances, and now even a children’s book. Arguably no has a better claim to the title of “Queen of Christmas” — but that still doesn’t mean she gets to trademark it.

On Nov. 15, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied her application, submitted via her company Lotion LLC, per the BBC. The goal of the March 2021 filing was to secure exclusive usage of multiple Christmas terms, per NME. In addition to “Queen of Christmas,” she was looking to lock down “QOC,” “Princess of Christmas,” and “Christmas Princess” with the possibility of using them on audio and visual recordings, fragrances, tree decorations, and more. Problems arose for Carey, however, when the public was given a chance to oppose the application and other queens of Christmas had their say.

Christmas singer-songwriter Elizabeth Chan filed a formal declaration of opposition to the claim through her lawyer in August, per Variety. As a “Queen of Christmas” herself (thanks to The New Yorker describing her as such in 2018, plus her dozen albums), she didn’t think anyone should own the use of the term. “Christmas is for everyone,” she told the outlet at the time. “It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.”

Grammy winner Darlene Love — another singer who has been known as the queen of Christmas — didn’t take legal action, but she spoke out publicly against Carey’s trademark bid in August, too. “David Letterman officially declared me the Queen of Christmas 29 years ago, a year before she released ‘All I want For Christmas Is You’ and at 81 years of age I’m NOT changing anything,” she wrote in part in a Facebook post. After the rejection was announced on Nov. 15, Love celebrated with another post, writing, “Thank you, Lord!! Congrats to all the other Queen of Christmases around the world, living and whom have passed!”

Similarly, Chan appeared on Good Morning America on Nov. 19 and said she was “elated” by the decision. She again explained her stance that giving someone the power to sue others for using the label wouldn’t be right. “The term ‘queen of Christmas’ … had existed for decades and decades before even I was born,” she said. Having the title free for anyone to use means many queens of Christmas can usher in the holiday season every year, she noted, adding, “It takes more than just one.”

As for Carey, she’s still the queen of Christmas in many people’s hearts, trademark or no. Some of her fans shared their support on Twitter after her application was rejected, and they made it clear they don’t need it to be made official by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. “DID YOU KNOW? Twitter may be down forever but Mariah Carey will always be the queen of christmas,” one wrote. Another also called her by the title and then added, “she’s a blueprint. she’s an icon. she’s a songwriter, singer, and performer. and most of all, she’s a legend who is still here with us. RESPECT HER!”

A trademark might have been Carey’s Christmas wish, but she can make the season merry and bright no matter what.